Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for the purification, respectively processing and/or analysis of biological target molecules, in particular to one with the detection device for detecting at least one object. Further embodiments of the invention relate to a receiving device for receiving material for processing, purification and/or analysis of biological target molecules, and a method for inventorying, for position determination and/or for arrangement determination of objects, in particular of receiving devices, which are used on a corresponding apparatus for automatic processing of a material, which includes biological target molecules.
Description of Related Art
Nowadays it is often desired, for isolating and further processing or analysing of biological target molecules such as nucleic acid and proteins, to use automated methods. This has many advantages, for example enabling a high throughput of samples, identical processing conditions at each isolation/process, which allow for a direct comparison of results of the process results, time saving, a reduced danger for employees to come into contact with substances potentially dangerous to health, which are often used in such processes, etc. To guarantee a smooth workflow of the process on the apparatus, it does not only have to be insured that the needed consumables and chemicals are located on the apparatus prior to initiation of the processes, but also that the right materials are located at the right position, in the right arrangement or alignment, in the right quantity and in the right state, for example opened.
With many devices on the market the user has to make sure that these conditions are fulfilled. That these conditions have not been fulfilled is often realized only when problems arise in the course of the processes, which can result in the lost of samples, time and consumables and, in the worst case, in a damaging of the apparatus.
With some devices on the market attempts are made to take away these tasks from the user and to conduct them automatically.
So far, it is known in the art to recognize process containers via an optical image recognition in a process room for biological material. An algorithm thereby tries to recognize contours of the process containers from a captured optical image and to determine the type of the process containers from the contours. This image recognition only works reliably if a sufficient optical contrast between the process container and a working table exists.
Further it is known to detect the presence of a disposable tip by picking up the disposable tip and measuring of a force for the process control. Thereby, a detection of the disposable tip is made in a rack for disposable tips at a first position. If this fails a next position is approached and the process is repeated until a correct detection of a disposable tip has happened. From this it is concluded that all further positions are filled, too. The detected disposable tip is subsequently thrown into a waste container. This process has to be repeated for each rack for disposable tips. The position of the disposable tip is permanently programmed in a software for the supervision of the process.
It is also known to determine the presence of process containers via a force measurement, preferably indirectly via the power consumption of the actuator of the gripper. Therein, a size and position of the process container is programmed in a software. The correct size and position can be determined by a fixedly defined sequence of gripping processes. This determination, however, is not sufficiently reliable precise and/ore fast under circumstances.